Hawaii GOP official resigns after using party Twitter account to support QAnon conspiracy theorists

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - The Hawaii GOP is facing backlash Sunday after a series of tweets — now deleted — that expressed support for QAnon conspiracy theorists.

Tweets were posted Saturday night on @GOPHawaii and deleted Sunday morning without explanation.

On Sunday night, Hawaii GOP vice Chair of communications Edwin Boyette resigned through a Facebook post. In his statement, he wrote “the discussion of the Q-Conspiracy was an error of judgement.”

The messages on the Hawaii Republican Party’s Twitter account said followers of QAnon don’t deserve mockery and that they were “largely motivated by a sincere and deep love for America.”

The tweets also called QAnon believers “patriots,” while other tweets pointed blame toward the media for creating a “hyperbolic” narrative.

Hawaii’s Democratic party issued a statement saying: “There is nothing patriotic in defending QAnon adherents. There is nothing honorable in defending Proud Boy antics.”

QAnon describes a broad array of right-wing conspiracy theories that, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, “falsely claim the world is run by a secret cabal of pedophiles who worship Satan” and are plotting against Donald Trump.

QAnon conspiracy theories, once fringe, have taken off online and now become mainstream. A number of those who participated in the attack on the US Capitol described themselves as QAnon followers.

This story will be updated.

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